Potential bacteriophages to overcome bacterial infection of Alcaligenes faecalis in diabetic ulcer.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes is a non-contagious disease, but it can cause various complications. One of the most common complications of diabetes is diabetic ulcers. Diabetic ulcers are infections that occur in the legs of diabetics due to the destruction of the deepest skin tissue. Recent studies have reported the presence of Alcaligenes faecalis with extensive drug resistance (XDR) properties as a cause of diabetic ulcers. Bacteriophages are known to have the ability to infect bacteria specifically so that they can be used as an alternative solution for treating diabetic ulcers. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of bacteriophages capable of infecting Alcaligenes faecalis bacteria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The method used is the spot test method, host range, and identification of nucleic acid types. RESULTS: The results showed that the 6 bacteriophages isolated, namely AFaV1, AFaV2, AFaV3, AFaV4, AFaV5, and AFaV6, had cloudy plaques with a diameter of ±3 mm. AFaV1, AFaV2, and AFaV4 isolates could infect all bacteria used; they were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Meanwhile, bacteriophage isolates AFaV3, AFaV5, and AFaV6 could infect Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria only. The nucleic acid types of the 6 bacteriophage samples were dsDNA with band length > 1 Kb. CONCLUSIONS: The 6 isolates that were isolated had the ability to infect by forming a prophage that could inhibit the growth of Alcaligenes faecalis and other pathogenic bacteria in diabetic ulcers.

Neurological manifestations of COVID-19 in Indonesia: Assessment of the role of sex and age.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can manifest in multiple organs. While the primary manifestations of COVID-19 occur in the respiratory system, other organ systems are also involved, including nervous systems that cause neurological symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the neurological manifestations of COVID-19 patients and to assess the role of age and sex on neurological manifestation incidence. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Pelamonia Hospital, Makassar, Indonesia, among inpatient COVID-19 cases, using a total sampling method. Demographic data and neurological manifestations of the COVID-19 patients were collected. The associations between age and sex with the incidence of neurological symptoms were analyzed using the Chi-squared test. Out of 424 inpatients with COVID-19 cases, 62.3% were females, with the highest age group was 20-40 years (42.7%). The neurological symptoms were reported in 232 patients, accounting for approximately 54.7%. The most frequently reported neurological symptom was headache (n=104, 44.8%), followed by anosmia (n=44, 18.9%), ageusia (n=48, 20.6%), myopathy (n=14, 6%), stroke (n=10, 4.3%), seizure (n=5, 2.1%), and altered consciousness (n=7, 3%). An association was found between sex and the incidence of headache, myopathy, stroke, and altered consciousness. There was also an association between age and the incidence of headache and stroke. The study highlights that COVID-19 patients commonly exhibit neurological implications affecting the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. Therefore, it is crucial for the early detection of neurological symptoms in COVID-19 cases to have better management.

In-silico analysis of recombinant protein vaccines based on the spike protein of Indonesian SARS-CoV-2 through a reverse vaccinology approach.

Objectives: This study aimed to produce a recombinant protein vaccine candidate based on an epitope of spike protein from Indonesian SARS-CoV-2 to provide immunogenicity and protection against future infection. Methods: A reverse vaccinology approach was used to identify potential vaccine candidates by screening the pathogen's genome through computational analyses. Results: Epitope vaccine candidates with the amino acid sequence of FKNHTSPDV were selected. This peptide is hydrophilic, does not induce autoimmune and allergic reactions, is antigenic, is classified as a stable protein, and is predicted to be present in the cell membrane. The selected epitope sequences were inserted into the plasmid vector pcDNA3.1(+) N-GST (thrombin). Inclusion of additional features of the gene encoding glutathione-S transferase, which can increase antigen expression and solubility, and the genes encoding NSP 1-4 proteins, which are essential in replication, added value to the produced recombinant protein. Conclusion: Recombinant protein vaccine candidates with the FKNHTSPDV epitope have parameters sufficient for production on a laboratory scale for further testing.

Incidence and occupational variation of ovarian granulosa cell tumours in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden during 1953-2012: a longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and occupational variation of granulosa cell tumours (GCTs) in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden over a 60-year period, 1953-2012. DESIGN: A longitudinal cohort study. SETTING AND POPULATION: Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and a total of 249 million women over a 60-year period (1953-2012). The NOCCA (Nordic Occupational Cancer Study) included 6.4 million women with 776 incident GCT cases diagnosed until the end of follow up. METHODS: Incidence rates were calculated from the national cancer registries and compared using quasi-Poisson regression models. Occupation-specific standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated from the Nordic Occupational Cancer (NOCCA) database. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence rates and standardised incidence ratios. RESULTS: The age-adjusted (World Standard) incidence rates remained quite constant: about 0.6-0.8 per 100 000 for most of the study period. The age-specific incidence was highest at 50-64 years of age. There were no occupations with significantly increased risk of GCT. Major changes in the use of oral contraceptives, postmenopausal hormonal therapy, fertility rate and lifestyle in general during the study period and among different occupational categories do not appear to have a marked effect on the incidence of GCT. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the concept of GCT as a primarily sporadic, not exposure-related, cancer. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: The Nordic incidence rates of GCTs show stability over time and among different occupational categories.

Ovarian cancer risk in postmenopausal women using estradiol-progestin therapy - a nationwide study.

OBJECTIVE: While previous data link the use of postmenopausal hormone therapy to an increased risk for ovarian cancer, little is known about the impact of various progestins, modes or routes of administration of hormone therapy for this risk. In this nationwide study, we compared relations between different estradiol-progestin (EPT) formulations and epithelial ovarian cancer risk. METHODS: All Finnish women over 50 years using EPT for at least 6 months (224 015 women with 602 ovarian cancers) during 1994-2006 were identified from the reimbursement register. The incidence of ovarian cancer in EPT users was compared to that in the age-matched background population by means of observed to expected ratio (standardized incidence ratio, SIR). RESULTS: Ovarian cancer risk was not elevated for EPT use of < 5 years but it was elevated for EPT use of ≥5 years (SIR 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.37). Medroxyprogesterone acetate and norethisterone acetate as components of EPT were associated with similar risks for use for ≥ 5 years (SIR 1.26, 95% CI 0.94-1.64 and SIR 1.42, 95% CI 1.11-1.77, respectively). The risk did not differ between sequential or continuous EPT regimens or between oral or transdermal EPT formulations. The risk elevation for EPT use for ≥ 5 years was seen only for serous (SIR 1.56; 95% CI 1.33-1.80) and mixed cancers (SIR 1.54; 95% CI 1.22-1.91), whereas the risk for mucinous cancer was decreased (SIR 0.47; 95% CI 0.22-0.86). CONCLUSION: The elevated risk of non-mucinous ovarian cancer in users of EPT ≥ 5 years does not depend on progestin type, mode or route of administration of EPT.

Occupation and risk of primary fallopian tube carcinoma in Nordic countries.

The aetiology of primary Fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is poorly understood. Occupational exposures may contribute to PFTC risk. We studied incidence of PFTC in occupational categories in the Nordic female population aged 30-64 years during the 1960, 1970, 1980/1981 and/or 1990 censuses in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for the years following inclusion in the study up to 2005 were calculated for 53 occupations; the expected numbers of cases were based on PFTC incidence in the national populations. Altogether 2,206 PFTC cases were detected during follow up via data linkages with the Nordic cancer registries. Significantly increased risks of PFTC were observed for smelting workers (SIR 3.99, 95% confidence interval 1.46-8.68, Obs = 6), artistic workers (2.64, 1.44-4.43, Obs = 14), hairdressers (2.18, 1.41-3.22, Obs = 25), packers (1.62, 1.11-2.29, Obs = 32), nurses (1.49, 1.14-1.92, Obs = 60), shop workers (1.25, 1.07-1.46, Obs = 159) and clerical workers (1.20, 1.07-1.35, Obs = 271) and these sustained over times and different Nordic countries. There was a nonsignificant increased risk for PFTC among welders, printers, painters and chemical process workers. The risk was significantly and consistently low for women working in farming (0.68, 0.47-0.95, Obs = 34) and among economically inactive women (0.88, 0.82-0.94, Obs = 833). The possible role of occupational exposures to the PFTC risks found in this study must be further evaluated in studies with a possibility to adjust for possible confounding factors, such as reproductive and life-style factors, which was not possible in our study.

Human papillomavirus infection and primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a seroepidemiological study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 or 33 infection in primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC). DESIGN: A retrospective case-control study. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. POPULATION: Seventy-eight consecutive women with PFTC diagnosed between 1985 and 2000 were studied. For each case, two healthy controls were selected. METHODS: Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 and 33 were measured from women with PFTC and their healthy controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Analysis of HPV 6, 11, 18, 31 and 33 seropositivity among women with PFTC and controls. RESULTS: Seropositivity rates of non-oncogenic or oncogenic HPV types did not differ between cases and controls, odds ratios being 1.04-1.30 for oncogenic HPVs and 1.08-1.19 for non-oncogenic HPVs, similarly. We did not find any multiplicative joint effect in PFTC by antibodies to more than one oncogenic HPV type; neither did we find any antagonistic effect among women with antibodies to non-oncogenic and oncogenic HPV types. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not suggest any link between PFTC and serological evidence for HPV infection.

Past chlamydial infection is not associated with primary fallopian tube carcinoma.

We conducted a retrospective seroepidemiological study to evaluate the relationship between past chlamydial infection and primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC). Postoperative serum samples were drawn from 79 consecutive patients treated for PFTC in 1985-2000. For each case two controls were selected. Serum samples were analysed for IgG antibodies to different C. trachomatis serotype pools and to C. pneumoniae. Seropositivity in general or serum antibody levels to different C. trachomatis serovars or C. pneumoniae did not differ between PFTC patients and controls. The lack of association between anti-chlamydial antibodies and PFTC suggests that past chlamydial infection does not play a role in the etiopathogenesis of PFTC. However, because chlamydial infection is common at young age and PFTC develops decades later, we cannot definitively exclude the possibility that C.trachomatis contributes to the development of PFTC.

Preoperative serum hCGbeta as a prognostic marker in primary fallopian tube carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: It was the aim of this study to evaluate the prognostic value of the pretreatment serum concentrations of the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCGbeta), CA 125 and tumour-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) in primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC). METHODS: The pretreatment serum concentrations of hCGbeta, CA 125 and TATI were analyzed in serum samples from 60 women with a mean age of 61 years, treated for PFTC between 1985 and 2000. Of the 91 patients treated during this period, 31 were excluded because no serum sample was available. The patients were followed-up for recurrence and survival until February 14, 2003. The prognostic value of the serum markers were compared with those of stage, grade and histological type. RESULTS: The median survival time was 27 months and the overall 5-year survival rate 33%. Stage and size of the residual tumour (<1 vs. > or =1 cm) predicted both overall and disease-free survival (p < 0.050). Histology (serous vs. others) (p = 0.023) also influenced overall survival. Overall 5-year survival was 38% when serum hCGbeta was below 3.5 pmol/l, while it was 18% when the level was higher (p = 0.052). The corresponding disease-free 5-year survival was 38 and 20%, respectively (p = 0.014). Patients with CA 125 values above 1,017 kU/l had an overall 5-year survival of 39% as compared with 14% for those with lower values (p = 0.009), while the disease-free survival was 37 and 23%, respectively (p = 0.096). Serum TATI was not a prognostic marker. Serum concentrations of hCGbeta and CA 125 correlated significantly with stage (p = 0.049 and p = 0.050, respectively). In multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, only hCGbeta, stage and histology emerged as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Clearly elevated serum concentrations of hCGbeta and CA 125 predict survival in fallopian tube carcinoma, but in multivariate analyses, only hCGbeta is a prognostic factor independent of stage and histology.

Gender display in Scandinavian and American advertising for antidepressants.

This study examines whether depiction of users of antidepressants in advertisements for antidepressants in the 1995 issues of the major medical journal in each of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden differs from that in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The results show that the people shown in the Danish, Finnish, and Norwegian journals are predominantly women, whereas depiction of users in the American and Swedish advertising is predominantly of couples. The portrayals in the 1995 advertising are of antidepressants as female gendered; a feature that was not seen in advertising for psychotropic drugs in the Nordic countries in the 1980s.

Estimation of fetal shoulder width by measurement of the humerospinous distance by ultrasound.

The present study was undertaken to find a practical method for estimating the fetal shoulder width by ultrasound. Sixty pregnant women at term were included in the study. The distance between the lateral margin of the fetal cartilaginous caput humeri and the processus spinosus of the cervical vertebra C7 (humerospinous distance) was measured by ultrasound. The neonatal shoulder width was measured with a craniometer during the first postnatal day. Linear regression analysis was used to calculate the correlation between the humerospinous distance and the shoulder width, and a significant linear correlation (r = 0.612, p < 0.001) was shown. Although, in this small study, we could not show a relationship between humerospinous distance and dystocia, we feel a clinical study of humerospinous distance as a predictor of shoulder dystocia is indicated.